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Rafe New York Spring / Summer 2024 at F/ROW in Los Angeles

JOURNAL
Can I Tell You…about my Spring / Summer 2025 collection.
Can I Tell You…about my Spring / Summer 2025 collection.

Can I Tell You About the Rafe Spring / Summer 2025 collection.

South Beach, Miami, a tropical paradise that elicits visions of sultry days on the beach and hedonistic nights, has always been one of my favorite winter escapes. It’s as close as I can get to the tropics within a few hours flight from New York. And every chance I get, I take it

Can I Tell You About…Joanna Preysler
Can I Tell You About…Joanna Preysler

Can I tell you about Joanna Preysler. We met over 30 years when I was a fashin designer in the Philippines. Recently, we’ve been reacquainted through her social media and our mutual friend Dawn Zulueta. She’s a wife, a mother and an entrepreneur. She and her husband Raul Francisco founded Provenance Art Gallery and 8Rooms Creative Space in Manila showcasing Filipino artists and mentoring emerging tale

Can I Tell You...about Ayesha Vera Yu.
Can I Tell You...about Ayesha Vera Yu.

Can I tell you I first met Ayesha back in 2016 when ARK honored me at their fundraiser gala in New York. Since then we have become friends and I have helped her with some creative input with last year’s event. She is a force of nature; bubbling with energy, overflowing with ideas and optimism that is inspiring to be around.

Can I Tell You ... about my collaboration with Mestiza New York.
Can I Tell You ... about my collaboration with Mestiza New York.

Can I tell you, we all know that feeling you have when you meet someone and you just know you’re going to get along. That’s exactly how I felt when I met Alessandra years ago. We have a shared heritage and it’s something we are very proud of. We just get each other.

Can I Tell You...about my Spring / Summer 2024 Collection featured in Vogue Philippines.
Can I Tell You...about my Spring / Summer 2024 Collection featured in Vogue Philippines.

For a summer away from New York City, it might seem like there’s no better destination than the Hamptons. If it were up to Rafé Totengco, however, he’d tell you that being there would feel as if you hadn’t even left Manhattan. “I mean, it really is a fabulous location,” he says, but “I’m just not there.” On the weekends, the Rafé New York designer would rather be on the peninsula opposite the Hamptons, up in the North Fork. “I swear to you, your trip will feel so different if you just go away for two days. Just come out,” he urges, reenacting the convincing he had to do to get a few of his friends to come and visit. “Just come and see it for what it is, and you’ll see. You’ll come back.”

Can I Tell You...about Aya Abesamis.
Can I Tell You...about Aya Abesamis.

Can I Tell You…about Aya Abesamis. We started following each other on Instagram last year but we recently finally met in person. I knew of Aya because her parents were fashion models and contemporaries of my sisters back in the Philippines in the 1980s.

Can I Tell You...about my Fall / Winter 2023 Collection.
Can I Tell You...about my Fall / Winter 2023 Collection.

In setting out to design any collection, Rafe Totengco prefers to work off a feeling.

With his brand Rafé New York, the designer has carved out a niche in the clutches and evening bags sect of fashion. He attributes its global acclaim to one sentiment: anyone can carry a Rafé bag. Over an illustrious two-decade-long career, he notes a sizeable shift in the landscape that mirrors this attitude, with trends that transcend any one type of person—so long as it fits their tastes.

Can I Tell You...Gold is a neutral.
Can I Tell You...Gold is a neutral.

Can I tell you…gold bags are a great choice for summer as they complement a wide range of colors. Whether your’e wearing bright, white or neutrals, a gold bag adds a touch of elegance and sophistication without being overpowering. The Fernanda frame clutch can elevate a simple outfit and give it that extra oomph. The bag is handwoven in strips of platinum, rose gold and gold leather then finished with a structured covered frame. It also comes with a braided leather shoulder strap so you can wear it as a crossbody bag.

Can I Tell You...about Berna Romulo Puyat.
Can I Tell You...about Berna Romulo Puyat.

Can I tell you, although we’ve never met in person, Berna Romulo Puyat and I have come to know each other thanks to Instagram. We started direct messaging each other a few years ago when she posted a picture wearing one of my clutches given to her by a common friend. Berna has been a long time advocate for wearing Filipino design. In her role as the Philippines Secretary of Tourism she traveled everywhere in the country and through her I saw so many beautiful destinations I have since added to my bucket list. More recently, she has been appointed the Deputy Governor of Central Bank of the Philippines.

Can I Tell You...about Clair Concepcion-Barberis.
Can I Tell You...about Clair Concepcion-Barberis.

Can I Tell You…I have known Clair Concepcion-Barberis since the late 80s when I started my fashion brand in Manila. She and her best friends were rebellious teenagers who dared to defy the rules of their strict Catholic school to model for me. We had so much fun going against the status quo in those days. We kept in touch after I moved to New York and whenever I was in Manila, I would always make time to see her and the gang for a proper catch-up.

RAFE DOCUMENTS THE MAKING OF THE ICONIC AND EXTRAORDINARY MINAUDIERE. 

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RAFE NEW YORK SPRING / SUMMER 2024 COLLECTION AT F/ROW LA FASHION WEEK.